Changed my mind about using a cheap multimeter for board-level work

I always used a $15 meter from the hardware store, thinking it was fine for continuity checks. Last month, I was tracing a short on a Dell laptop motherboard and my cheap meter gave a false reading, making me waste two hours. I borrowed a Fluke 87V from a friend and found the problem in five minutes. Has anyone else had a similar experience with basic tools failing on complex jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jessica25d ago

Oh man, that's the universe telling you it's time for an upgrade. My old meter once lied to me about a fuse being good, which led to a very smoky and very stupid afternoon. It's funny how a tool can seem totally fine until it casually ruins your whole plan. I guess sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

brooke_taylor25d ago

Wait, @the_jessica, was that a fuse or a breaker?

owens.blair25d ago

What kind of meter was it?